This month, from September 15 to October 15, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (“HHM”), spotlighting the voices, culture, history, and contributions of the Hispanic and Latinx communities in the United States. These communities encompass those with ancestry and heritage from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
From 1968 until 1988, Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan all issued proclamations, setting aside a week to honor Hispanic and Latinx Americans. In 1987, U.S. Representative Esteban E. Torres of California proposed expanding the observance to cover its current 31-day period, including the national independence days of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Mexico, Chile, and Belize. On September 14, 1989, President George H.W. Bush became the first president to declare National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15.
HHM is an opportunity to highlight the fundamental ways in which these communities have shaped and continue to shape American society. Gordon & Rees recognizes the fundamental role that Hispanic and Latinx Americans hold in the fabric of our country and our firm through their leadership in various bar associations, involvement in their local communities, and invaluable contributions within the firm. Here, the Gordon & Rees Diversity Committee's Hispanic/Latino Affinity Group serves as a resource to further the networking, mentoring, and career development of Hispanic/Latinx attorneys. It facilitates its members' engagement with the Hispanic/Latinx community, inspiring and empowering the next generation of lawyers.
To foster this same progressive, creative, and inclusive environment firm-wide, Gordon & Rees created the firm’s Leadership, Equality, and Diversity (LEAD) program. LEAD works in tandem with the Diversity Committee, Women’s Initiative, and Affinity Groups to recruit, retain, and promote female and diverse attorneys to the highest positions of management and ownership at the firm. To learn more about Gordon & Rees' diversity efforts, please click here.